The Oklahoma Thunder will attempt to keep their magical season alive as they face the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday for Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals at American Airlines Center. We're here to share our NBA odds series and make a Thunder-Mavericks Game 6 prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Mavericks defeated the Thunder 104-92 in Game 5 on the road to put themselves one win away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals.
Luca Doncic exploded for a triple-double, finishing with 31 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. Significantly, it was his sixth career playoff triple-double. Ultimately, it was a good bounceback for the Mavs after they blew a 14-point lead and lost at home in Game 4. Derrick Jones Jr. had a career playoff high with 19 points. Also, P.J. Washington Jr. added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 30 points. However, no one else scored more than 13 points. Chet Holmgren had 13 points while shooting 5 for 11. Likewise, Luguentz Dort had 12 points while shooting 4 for 11. Jalen Williams had 12 points while shooting 6 for 13. Lastly, Josh Giddey had 11 points.
It was the second time the Mavericks won Game 5 on the road during the postseason. Subsequently, they finished off the Los Angeles Clippers at home in Game 6 and now hope to send the Thunder packing.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Playoffs Odds: Thunder-Mavericks Game 6 Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: +4 (-114)
Moneyline: +146
Dallas Mavericks: -4 (-106)
Moneyline: -174
Over: 209.5 (-108)
Under: 209.5 (-112)
How to Watch Thunder vs. Mavericks Game 6
Time: 8:05 PM ET/5:05 PM PT
TV: ABC
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Thunder shot poorly in Game 5. They were bad from beyond the arc, struggled on the boards, and only managed two blocked shots. Unfortunately, they could not win despite forcing 14 turnovers. They need all their players to come through, and it starts with their best players.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 29.6 points per game throughout these playoffs. Furthermore, he is shooting 48.7 percent from the floor, including 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. There has been no stopping Gilgeous-Alexander. However, he needs his teammates to help him out.
Williams is averaging 18.3 points per game while shooting 46.5 percent throughout the playoffs. Yet, he was quiet in Game 5, with only 12 points. The Thunder need more from him to keep their season alive. Additionally, they need others to do more. Holmgren is averaging 15 points per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field. Ultimately, he also did not do enough to propel the Thunder forward.
Dort is averaging 10.7 points per game. Even worse, he is shooting just 37 percent from the hardwood. Giddey is averaging 9.4 points per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the floor. Overall, he is not playing badly. But there is room for improvement.
The Thunder will cover the spread if Gilgeous-Alexander can continue to dominate all over the floor. Then, the rest of the team needs to shoot the ball better and contain Doncic.
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Mavs shot exceptionally well in Game 5. Significantly, they shot 52.6 percent from the floor, including 40 percent from the three-point line. The Mavericks also dominated the boards 46-33, which gave them multiple opportunities to control the flow of the game. The Mavericks also blocked five shots. Despite this, they still turned the ball over 14 times, which might hurt them if they do it again.
Doncic remains exceptional. Throughout the NBA playoffs, he has averaged 27.1 points, 9.6 assists, and nine rebounds. However, he is shooting only 41.3 percent from the floor, including 28 percent from beyond the arc. Thus, Doncic needs more consistency and cannot struggle from the field if the Mavs are to close this series out.
Kyrie Irving is averaging 21 points per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor, including 44.6 percent from beyond the arc. However, he has been quiet throughout the last couple of games and the Mavericks need the superstar to show up. Washington is averaging 14.7 points per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the field, including 40.8 percent from the three-point line. Meanwhile, Jones is averaging 9.8 points per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor.
The Mavericks will cover the spread if they can continue to shoot the rock exceptionally well. Then, they need to close out on shots and make the Thunder earn each try.
Final Thunder-Mavericks Game 6 Prediction & Pick
The Mavericks won Game 3 by four points at home. Then, the Thunder rallied to win Game 4 by four points on the road. The matchups in Dallas have been tight. While the Mavericks have the experience and the pedigree to close it out, the Thunder will not make this easy for them. Expect this game to go down to the wire. While we do believe the Mavericks will find a way to close out the series, we also feel it will be a game that goes down to the wire. The Thunder cover the spread as they struggle mightily to keep their season alive.
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Final Thunder-Mavericks Game 6 Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder: +4 (-114)
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